Are You Under Valuing the Importance of Your Human Resource Department?

Human resources executive search firms

Have you ever considered the importance of your human resources department? Perhaps you do all of the human resource tasks on your own. Maybe you simply hired a human resource professional because you were told that you needed one. It is even possible that you hired your HR consultants because you simply did not want to deal with your employee?s complaints and concerns. Your human resource professional or department may do more than you even realize. They are actually a crucial part of any businesses success. For this reason, it is important to take great care and consideration into the human resource staffing process.

They hire your staff This is, perhaps, one of the most important task of your human resource department. The success of your business is reliant upon the skills and knowledge of your employed staff. Your company is only as successful as its employees. Your human resource professional is responsible for finding and hand selecting the staff that will work for your business. The hiring process is very complex, requiring phone interviews, resume review, in person interviews, and personality matching. This is why many companies without human resource professional choose to use outplacement consulting companies.

They handle staff concerns When staff are unhappy with their work conditions, they are less likely to do quality work. However, if they feel that the management listens to their questions and concerns, they are likely to remain with the company. Many outplacement consulting companies recommend completing both entrance and exit interviews with all employees to find out how staff feel about the work environment. This can be a great way for companies to learn about any needed working improvements to improve employee satisfaction.

They reduce employee retention rates High employee retention rates can be a huge problem for some companies. Every time a company hires a new employee, they incur costs. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the average cost of a bad hiring decision can equal 30% of the first year?s potential earnings. Outplacement consulting companies often spend more time in the hiring and employee matching process, which can drastically reduce employee retention rates, also saving the company money on hiring and training fees.

Plan and implement on boarding programs Without a strong human resource department, your company is unlikely to have a successful on boarding process. Employees who are aware of their specific job duties and the details of the company they work for are more likely to be satisfied with their positions and will stay with the company longer. New hires that undergo a structured onboarding program are 58% more likely to be with the company after three years. Onboarding programs are a great way to hire and hold onto successful, high quality employees.

Mediate employee problems Sometimes employees experience problems between each other or with the company. Companies that do not handle their problems successfully often end up in the media with poor PR. A common problem exists in non diverse hiring practices. HR recruiters are often trained in hiring diverse staff. Outplacement consulting companies are also specifically equipped with handling diversity accusations.

Diversity among employees has also shown to be important in a successful work environment. McKinsey?s research shows that gender diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform their peers and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to do the same. HR executive search consultants and qualified human resource departments can be a valuable resource in ensuring that your company is made up of successfully diverse employees.

The human resource department is an often under valued, yet extremely important part of the success of any company. The employees that a business staffs dictate their success. A business owner that is not qualified in making hiring decisions of handling employees concerns may struggle with employing staff that will improve the business. It is important to have a highly professional and qualified human resource department to handle employee issues or to use the services of an outplacement consulting company for these purposes.